Valve



Oct. 31, 1933. CgM. HAM BLIN 4 VALVE I Filed April 9, 1951 & HI \IHH 34 CLYDE PLHAMBLIN INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT, OFFICE I UNITED STATES 4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to mixing valves and more particularly to valves in which fluids of different temperatures are mixed with the object of obtaining a fluid of predetermined temperature.

The invention is directed particularly to mixing valves of the type illustrated in Patent No. 1,788,765 in which a main valve is provided with a mixing chamber having an inlet port controlled by a secondary valve operated by a heat responsive device.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified structure for such a valve and to also provide means in such a valve for regulating the heat responsive means.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawing accompanies this spectfication as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a medial vertical cross section through the improved valve;

Figure 2 and Figure 3 are fragmentary sections taken in the same plane as Figure 1 illustrating modified forms of the annular sealing parts;

Figure 4 is a perspective of the valve operating member;

Figure 5 is a perspective of the top for the plug Valve;

Figure 6 is a perspective of the bonnet for the valve housing; and a Figure 7 is a perspective looking down on the valve operating member.

In accordance with the present invention, the mixing valve consists of a valve housing 10, which may be preferably of a generally conical shape provided with an interior ground conical valve seat 9 and having its larger and open end provided with a closure or bonnet 34. The valve housing 10 is provided with inlet ports 11 and 12 and an outlet port 13 and with a flat bottom '52.

A conical valve plug 14 seats in the conical valve seat 9 with a clearance between its respec- -tive ends and the bottom 52 and bottom of bonnet 34. The valve plug 14 is hollow and divided into an upper chamber 27 and a lower chamber 28 by an inwardly directed annular flange 26 provided with a beveled valve seat 25 in which a valve 23 having a similarly beveled flange. 24 is adapted to reciprocate and seat. Chamber 27 is provided with ports 15 and 16 adapted to align with housing ports 11 and 13, while chamber 28 has a port 17 adapted to align with port 12, as illustrated. The reciprocating valve 23 is provided with a depending skirt 29 provided with vertical ribs 30 adapted to guide the valve in the orifice formed by the flange 26 by means of which structure-free communication is provided between chambers 27 and 28 when valve 23 is even slightly unseated.

A top closure 18 is provided for the valve plug 14 being secured thereto as by screws 21 and this top plug closure is provided on its outer face with an elongated stud or key 19. A central orifice 8 extends through key 19 and closure 18, the lower part of which may be enlarged and internally screw-threaded to receive the lower and externally screw-threaded end of a spindle 60. A heat responsive member which may be of any preferred form and here illustrated as a bellows 22 adapted to contain a fluid medium is secured to the reciprocating valve 23 and the lower threaded end 62 of spindle 60 as by threaded studs 64 and I5 66, so that by rotating spindle 60 with respect to the closure member 18 theposition of valve 23 and the heat responsive element 22 may be adjusted with respect to valve seat 25.

The valve operating member consists of a disk 43 having on its lower face a slot 46 slightly larger than the key 19 which key is adapted to seatinsaid slot by which arrangement a lost motion connection is provided between said disk 43 and the valve plug 14. On its upper face the disk 43 has a 8 central stem 42 adapted to project out of the valve housing through a central orifice provided in the closure bonnet 34. A central orifice 59 extends axially of stem 42 to receive spindle 60, and this orifice is preferably enlarged to receive suitable 99 packings and a packing nut 41. Surrounding stem 42 on the upper face of the disk 43 is an annular ridge of V or knife cross section and on the lower face of thebonnet 34 is provided an annular bearing face, which annular ridge 45 and bearing face 38 are adapted to-form a seal around the stem 42 whenthey contact. If desired an annular gasket 45 or a second. annular ground bearing face 45" may be provided as illustrated 100 in Figures 2 and 3 in lieuof the annular knife edge.

The bonnet 34 is preferably removably secured to the valve housing as by bolts 33. A handle 57 is secured to stem 42 of the operating member and ahandle 61 is secured to spindle 60.

To assure a tight seated joint between plug valve 14 and the valve seat in housing 10 and at the same time assure reasonable freedom of move I ment under varying temperatures, a compression spring 50 is positioned between the bottom of the plug valve and the bottom of the housing. This spring tends to unseat the valve plug and make its rotation in the housing free. To securely seat the valve plug when in inoperative position with its ports 15, 16 and 17 out of alignment with the housing ports 11, 12 and 13, cam 48 is provided on the upper face of operating disk 43 adapted to engage lug 47 on the inner face of bonnet 34 to force valve plug 1 1 into its seat.

In operation with the valve plug 14 hard seated in housing 10, and ports 11, 12 and 13 out of alignment with ports 15, 16 and 17, it being desired to draw water of a certain temperature, spindle 60 will be rotated to adjust heat responsive member 22 and valve 23 for the desired temperature. Handle 57 will then be turned. During the initial movement of handle 57 cam 48 will move off of lug 47 permitting the spring 50 to slightly unseat valve plug 14 to permit its free rotation. During that initial movement of the handle and operating member 43, however, there has been no rotary motion communicated to valve plug 14 by reason of the lost motion key and slot connection between the operating member and the valve plug. Cam 48 having passed 01f of lug 4'7 and valve plug 14 having been unseated from housing 10,the annular knife edge 45 engages and forms a sealing connection with bearing surface 38. Continued rotation of handle 57, then rotates valve plug 14, bringing ports 11, 12 and 13 gradually into alignment with ports 15, 16 and 17 permitting cold fluid to enter the upper chamber 27 and hot fluid to enter lower chamber 28. Rotation beyond alignment of ports is prevented by the rear end of cam 48 coming in contact with stop 49. The hot fluid will pass upward into chamber 2'7, there mix with the cold and thence pass out through ports 13 and 16, the opening of valve 23 being constantly controlled by the temperature of the mixture in chamber 27 and the adjustment of heat responsive member 22.

It will be apparent that with the annular sealing part 45 and annular bearing surface 38, all packing of stem 42 is eliminated. It will further be seen that the annular contact member 45 only engages the bearing surface when the valve plug is unseated from the housing and that it is then pressed into close sealing engagement with said bearing surface by compression spring 50. Thus these sealing elements are not afiected by and cannot be worn or injured to any degree by the manual force applied to the valve in closing it oif at which stage of the operation of the device in reverse to that previously described, the cam 48 will have engaged lug 4'7 and forced the valve plug into firm contact with housing 10 and the annular knife edge 45 away from bearing surface 38.

Pointers 58 and 70' may be conveniently provided in connection with handles 5'7 and 61 in association with suitable graduated scales on the bonnet 34 and handle hub 54 to indicate adjustments of the heater element and extent of port esa-toe openings, and preferably a stop 71 will be provided, which by contacting pointer 70 will limit, the adjustment of the heat control device. Various modifications of the structure will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

The herein described invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mixing valve having a housing, a rotary and reciprocating valve member, a reciprocating valve member and heat responsive means controlling said reciprocating valve; an operating member interposed between the housing and the rotary and reciprocating valve member, said operating member having a stem extending out of the housing and means reciprocable through said stem and operative member to adjust the said heat responsive member.

2. In a mixing valve having a housing, a rotary and reciprocating valve member, a reciprocating valve member and heat responsive means controlling said reciprocating valve, an operating member interposedbetween the housing and the rotary and reciprocating valve member said operating member havinga stem extending out of the housing, an annular contact surface and an annular contact part associated with the housing and operating member and surrounding said stem adapted to coact to constitute a seal surrounding said stem, and means reciprocable through said stem and operative member to adjust said heat r'esponsivemeans.

3. In a mixing valve, a housing, a rotary and reciprocating valve member, a reciprocating valve member within the first mentioned, heat responsive means adapted to operate the second valve member within the first, an operating member positioned between the housing and the first mentioned valve member, a lost motion connection between said valve and operating member, tension means forcing the first mentioned valve and operating member toward the housing, means carried by the housing and operating member respectively adapted to coact to force said valve against the tension means, a stem associated with the operating member extending out of the housing, annular sealing members surrounding said stem on the housing and operating member and means reciprocable through the stem to adjust the heat responsve means.

4:. In a valve having a housing, a hollow rotary and reciprocating valve member, means for operating said member, a reciprocating valve within said hollow valve member, a heat responsive means controlling said reciprocating valve, and means for adjusting said heat responsive member whereby said reciprocating valve can be con trolled within definite limits.

' CLYDE M. HAMBLIN. 

